The Groomsmen Movie Review

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Edward Burns writes, directs and stars in The Groomsmen, a little
known comedy-drama with a very recognizable cast and a decent outcome. John
Leguizamo, Matthew Lillard, Donal Logue, Jay Mohr and Brittany Murphy star in
this film about marriage, maturity and friendship.

Burns stars as Paulie, a man who is getting married in a week. As tensions
broil between him and his brother (Logue) and his brother and his brother's
wife, the rest of his friends show up to celebrate the upcoming wedding. As
they are all in their thirties now, some still want to party and others want
to stick to their responsibilities. One groomsmen (Mohr) attempts to win back
his ex-girlfriend, another prepares to confront his friends and family with
the truth that he's gay, and everyone begins to realize that they aren't kids
anymore.

The cast does an excellent job of elevating the story to the next level. The
story is very simplistic in plot, which is completely intentional as the movie
is more about character interactions than huge plot points. Every cast member
fits their roles wonderfully, even Matthew Lillard who probably turns in his
best performance to date (unless you count his uncanny ability to replicate
Shaggy). Murphy doesn't get much of a role to work with, but, after all, this
movie is about the groomsmen, not the bride. Mohr is probably the highlight
of the film, as he shamelessly embarrasses himself over and over again as he
attempts to win his ex back - usually via very inappropriate methods.

The Groomsmen has its funny moments and its dramatic moments, and
the synergy is quite good. Comedy-dramas often struggle as one genre generally
ends up outweighing the other; if audiences are expecting to laugh and instead
receive a heavy-handed third act, you will lose them. Conversely, if you get
too funny you destroy the depth the director is aiming for. Burns has already
done a couple movies along these lines, and seems to be making a name for himself
with small stories and intriguing characters. The Groomsmen switches
between comedy and drama easily and seamlessly, just like in real life. One
moment the group of friends can be laughing, and the next they can be fighting.
That's just how it goes.

Ten years from now, no one will know about this movie. While good, it doesn't
break any barriers or establish new ground. I wouldn't call it safe, but it
isn't risky, either. Still, for a fun, feel-good movie that presents some great
characters and a consistently entertaining story, The Groomsmen is
well worth a rental.